#especially because i live in a fucking continental region

[spring-ephemeral]

started playing pokemon go again recently. unfortunately i immediately got into the collector mindset about the vivillon patterns but finding friends from sandstorm/ocean/sun regions that actually send gifts has been literally impossible

[drdemonprince]

I’m moving to Chicago soon for work, neighborhoods I should look at vs avoid as a queer person? Have read a lot on Reddit but curious about your perspective

oh lord i know i had something like this written up before. a lot of what you are gonna find online is out of date -- neighborhoods that have already gentrified to hell and back and have become expensive and generic. here is the real advice for a queer broke person

HUGE BIAS ALERT: I am a northsider. I moved here for school (on the north side), I stayed here for work (on the north side), and as a white person this is especially A HUGE GLARING BIAS. The North Side is the whitest, most expensive, most segregated part of town. There are exceptions, big ones that I will mention here, but I will be giving a lot of the west and south sides short shrift here!

Okay, neighborhoods to look into:

ALBANY PARK: Affordable, quiet, and diverse, this neighborhood was settled by a bunch of Swedish evangelicals in the 1800s who established a weird shitty college that is still in the area and fired me once for being gay. HOWEVER the neighborhood itself is a delight, with lots of affordable properties, big parks hugging the river, and a very large Latinx population and Arab population. GREAT grocery stores, fruterias, dulcerias, thrift shops, big trans apartments that members of our community have held down for years/decades, dog parks, a public pool, and brown line train stops. A great place if you are a retiring, tabletop games and bubble tea and crochet kind of gay but also poor and want to live with people who are the same.

ROGERS PARK: This area on the northernmost tip of the city bordering Evanston is one of the most diverse neighborhoods on the northside (and one of the least-segregated in the entire city), with a large Indian neighborhood (with lots of great shops and restaurants), an Eritrean diasporic community, Hispanic grocery stores, some orthodox Jewish communities (esp on the west side), and lots of affordable housing. The area HAS gotten a bit more early-stage gentrified in recent years, but (for better and for worse) what this has meant is that a lot of young queer people have moved in and established a lot more queer spaces (us queer people, especially white ones, are so often used as one of the initial "wedges" of gentrification). There are multiple gay bars, a lesbian pool hall, a witchy store, a theater, dance halls, a Food Not Bombs chapter, anarchist skill share sessions, beautiful beaches with some natural restored lands, lots of affordable food, and best of all the LEATHER MUSEUM AND ARCHIVE! So many of the trans queer people I know live there (especially lesbian adjacent ones) but I would never live there again because I get recognized too much and also just happened to have a really awful relationship in graduate school in that neighborhood so, bad memories. But it's a great area. Noon Hour Grill is the best bibimbap I've had in the city.

UPTOWN: In the 1960s and 1970s, Uptown was a hub for Black Americans coming into the city via the Great Migration, hillbillies/Appalachians moving out of their home region due to economic disruption, and was also the home of the American Indian Center and host to a sizeable Indigenous community. These communities came into numerous squabbles, especially over gang territory, along with several Latino gangs, until the Black Panthers came in and brokered a peace. To this day it remains a highly diverse area with a strong history of working class resistance. Some buildings are getting bought up by flippers and I would not be surprised to see a Sweetgreen around here soon, puke. This is the neighborhood where the COOL, BROKE gay guys live. Not northhalsted. Fuck northalsted. Anyone who tells you to live in boystown/northalsted is a cop. Uptown has multiple gay bars and drag shows -- Baton Lounge hosts regular BDSM and drag events, Miss Continental USA is held here at the Riv theater, My Buddy's is a drag bingo bar with sports bar food and nightly events, Two Bears Tavern Uptown is a fun, sporty gay bar for casual socializing, Big Chicks is a classic, timeless old haunt for old gays and their trade and everyone that loves them, and if you open up Grindr you'll find all kinds of freaky guys to fuck from talent bookers to historians to camera operators with dungeons hidden in their modest two bedroom. There is a DOG BEACH. The book MY FAVORITE THING IS MONSTERS is about Uptown. I loveit.

Edgewater/Andersonville: The full sweetgreenification of this neighborhood is underway. Originally another Swedish neighborhood bordering Albany Park. Edgewater/Andersonville became a home for lesbians and domestic queer couples in the late 20th century. Much of its cultural legacy remains but it's beginning to change. There are multiple well-regarded theater companies, a women's bookstore, cute coffee shops, a tabletop game store with open table events every week, more witchy/tarot stores, lots of pet supply stores, everything you really need. It's very cute and cultured and also the most population dense neighborhood in the entire city, thanks to its numerous high-rises hugging the beach along Sheridan road! ...but the main strip of the neighborhood (Clark st) is starting to have Taco Bells and Warby Parkers and all that bullshit. So. Some places are still affordable some aren't. Lots of lesbians, trans people, people who read self help books... I get recognized the most in this neighborhood.

Irving Park/Avondale: A solidly working-class neighborhood buffeting one of the city's most recent full gentrification hipster nightmares, Logan Square. Logan used to be largely Hispanic and very affordable, but it has become wall-to-wall tiki bars and overpriced new apartment buildings these days. Move to Irving Park/Avondale if you want some of the Logan Square hipster culture without the price tag. If you like craft fairs, ironic wrestling tournaments, music, artsy film, you might like this neighborhood. Has one of the best Asian groceries in town, Joong Boo. There's a skate park under the overpass. My friend Tina hosts noise shows at it every summer during the day. There is cool shit! Lots of the like punks and music freaks all live together and have basement shows out here.

Humboldt Park: A predominately Puerto Rican neighborhood with one of the prettiest, biggest parks in the city (swan boats! A regular outdoor, sober friendly daytime DJ event in the summer called Humbolt Park Arboreal!) this area is a little more 'intimidating' if you are a white person who doesn't know how to behave, but if you have lived in majority non-white or majority Hispanic spaces or are not white yourself this area has a lot to offer, and it's on the West Side so it's more embedded within a variety of majority non-white communities (whereas even the diverse neighborhoods on the North Side are mostly surrounded by whiteness and like, straight Cubs fans, yuck). I know a lot of circus arts performers who live out here and some radical anarchists. It's affordable, there are some beauuuitful coffee shops, the park is great, there is a tool lending library, you're close to the gorgeous Garfield Park Conservatory, and a quick trip from downtown.

Hyde Park: Ever since my hand injury has been taking me down to the University of Chicago's medical campus every week, I have fallen in love with this neighborhood. Hyde Park is predominately Black and on the south side, though it also contains a massive university area that is kinda full of rich white assholes and out of towners and all the tensions that creates. There's a lot to love here. The actual park Hyde Park is lovely as fuck, and it's host to the Dusable Black History Museum, which is really cool. I love the Museum of Science and Industry in this neighborhood too (model train set!). Multiple beaches here, a great university hospital system (though a very shitty ER), a good number of queer people and students, and if you want to escape the nonsense of north side white people it's a pretty good starting place. I have known lots of Black trans people that have lived around here, as well as some white trans ppl who work in the area, it's just cool.

There are a lot more I could list (Pilsen? Wicker Park? The Evil Northalsted/Boystown?) but I wanted to avoid anything that was fully gentrified and expensive here, even if there still are a lot of cool people in them. Those areas are still worth checking out for events, bars, cruising, checking out parks and bookstores, making new friends etc. But I wanted to avoid the most obvious options and give you the real deal. I hope that my fellow Chicagoans will add commentary and other suggestions because my north side bias is REALlly clear here if you pull most of these up on a map!

The other big thing to know is that Chicago is a very neighborhoodsy city; if you have a friend on the west side and you live on the north east, sorry but you dont have a friend in town you have someone you're gonna see quarterly (unless you are both really cool about two hour bus trips or one of you has a car). this city has done a lot to keep communities separated and it's most obvious and overt in the predominately white north side areas (like Wrigleyville/Northalsted, just to name an example -- but the gold coast, lincoln park, lincoln square, etc are all really bad in that way too). These systemic problems are reflected in who turns up to events in certain areas, which artistic and queer communities make contact with one another, where it's safe for a person of color in the city to be, bigotries in dating, and lots of other things. I love a lot about this city but working against this stuff is a huge effort -- something to be cognizant of. Check the public transit options for where you work and where you live to make sure you dont give yourself a like two hour commute unwittingly. the city is big! not nyc big, but neighborhood matters!

[weirdestbooks]

Secret States Chapter 13

Confusion (Wattpad | Ao3)

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As Ireland wheeled out of the room, following James, Britain immediately turned to Liberia and began bombarding him with questions.

“Why didn't the states want anyone to know? Why didn’t America tell me once we made up? How are the Indians alive as nations? What is going on with Delaware and New York? Do the original thirteen states hate me?”

France rolled her eyes at Britain’s questions, some of them feeling a bit more obvious than others.

Honestly, how was this a surprise to him? 

France truly had fallen for an idiot of a man.

“Alright, slow down. I can only answer one question at a time,” Liberia said. “Do the original thirteen hate you? Probably. They were alters during Dad’s childhood, so your abuse affected them a lot.”

“They were alters?” Britain asked, horror in his voice.

“Yeah. The territories that were a part of the continental USA spent time as alters. There is still one, Unorganized Territory, cause she hasn’t been made a state yet,” Micronesia explained. Palau snorted.

“You stay that like there’s a chance of her becoming a state,” Palau said.

“True, but the oldest of his biological kids…they have issues with you because of that. And…they really pushed to keep anyone from knowing, especially after Michigan,” Liberia said. France frowned.

Britain, as much as she loved the fool, had a talent for destroying his relationships. France knew about what he had done during the War of 1812, but Britain had told her about it once before as they were reminiscing about those close to them that they believed were lost.

France knew Britain thought he was doing the right thing, and she wasn’t going to pretend like she was a perfect mother, but it made sense that the War of 1812 would solidify America’s decision to keep Britain in the dark.

France couldn’t blame him. She would have done the same in his situation. 

“What happened to Michigan?” Mexico asked. Liberia shook his head.

“That’s not something I really think I should talk about without his permission. He’s kind of sensitive about it,” Liberia explained.

“We didn’t hurt him,” Canada said, his voice firm and angry. Liberia shrugged.

“I’m not getting into a fight about a topic I don’t know much about,” Liberia said. “But if that showed you anything, it’s why they wanted to stay uninvolved. I’m sure you, with your own states, know how shitty things are for us and how states generally want to avoid that.”

“You say that like they don’t have a million state rivalries,” Micronesia said. France shook her head. It seemed regional rivalries were a plague that not even American states could escape.

“Why do the states have rivalries?” Portugal asked.

“They don’t like to get along. And border disputes. There is a lot of screaming about borders.” Liberia said. France sighed, rolling her eyes.

Of course there was.

“There really ain’t a lot of screaming about borders, and more so, the people who scream about borders are really fucking loud,” Germany said.

“Literally, whenever they start fighting, it’s really loud. I walk into Chedam’s house, and I instantly hear at least three fights, and no one does anything aside from Dee and sometimes Conf—” Palau started before she was cut off.

“PALAU!” Marshall Islands yelled, standing up abruptly. Palau paled and clasped her hand over her mouth. Philippines groaned, Cuba looked amused, and everyone else had various expressions of anger and frustration on their faces.

France immediately leaned forward, her interest piqued. There was clearly something else that they were hiding, and she was invested in what it was. 

After all, her niece lived with America now. She had a familial attachment that gave her the privilege of being emotionally invested.

“None of you can keep your mouths shut. You are going to end up spilling stuff, and I will gladly rat out who did it to America.” Cuba said. Morocco gave him a confused look.

“Why?” Morocco asked. Cuba shrugged.

“I feel like making things difficult for you.” 

“Thanks, Cuba, we really appreciate that,” Germany said with a roll of his eyes. 

“He is right that none of us can keep our mouths shut,” Liberia said.

“No, Liberia, you can’t keep your mouth shut. We can. For the most part.” Japan argued.

“Like you’re one to talk. Remember Penny’s last birthday?” South Korea cut in.

“We don’t talk about that!” 

“We will absolutely talk about that,” Liberia said with a smile.

“We will not!”

“We will!” Palau called, having removed her hand from her mouth.

“I’ll tell them the rest of this family’s secrets if you insist on bringing this up!”

“No, you won’t,” Micronesia said.

“Yeah, you won’t,” Philippines said in agreement.

“Fine, I won’t say who he is. But I still don’t want to talk about that.” Japan said.

“Well…I think it’s time for me to go. Since I’m so bad at keeping secrets, I really shouldn’t be answering these questions. Maybe ask one of my siblings.” Liberia said, “Bye!”

Liberia then proceeded to bolt for the door, which caused his siblings to protest it.

“If Liberia is leaving, then I am too. I’m not dealing with this.” Germany said, standing up.

“Yeah, I agree with Germany. I am not staying to deal with this bullshit. It’s Dad’s problem, and he can fix it.” South Korea said, walking out.

“It would be best to get answers from United States of America and not from the rest of you. I think it’s best to declare this meeting over,” United Nations said before he vanished, having gone back to the country world. 

After United Nations left, everyone else began to leave. France remained in her seat as Britain walked up to her before sitting down in the chair next to her. Britain sighed.

“Why didn’t he tell us?” He eventually asked.

“Because of what you did to him. And to be honest. He was right. You should have figured this out. I did,” France said. She hadn’t realized America’s Louisiana and her Louisiana were the same, but she had known his states had personifications, and French Polynesia had only confirmed that for her.

“I think…I think I didn’t want to,” Britain said. France placed her hand on his.

“You should talk to him about this.”

“I…I don’t know if I should. I don’t want to make things worse between us.” Britain said. France rolled her eyes.

“So you are just going to ignore him? You can’t ignore all your problems. Not for a lack of trying on your part.” France said. Britain shot her an annoyed look.

“I…I’ll work out whether or not I want to confront him later. But right now, I have to go tell my territories and brothers about this.” Britain said before standing up.

“Do you think they already know?” France asked. Britain sighed.

“I hope they don’t. Or I’ll feel like more of a fool. But…America is hiding other things. I want to find out what that is,” Britain said. 

France didn’t think that would help their relationship, but then again, their drama was fun, and France couldn’t deny that she was curious as well.

“I’ll help you,” she said.

“You will?” Britain asked. France smiled.

“What are partners for?” France said before gently kissing him, then standing up to leave.

She needed to look into how much her niece had changed.

[fitemilk]

after three decades on this planet i discovered that i’m a shy extrovert with social anxiety and this has made things easier. like. if i didn’t realize that i might have never met m. and m is also a shy extrovert with social anxiety. we both went out of our comfort zones to meet new people and it was so fucking worth it bc her and her mother are beautiful spirits and wonderful people with only good in mind.

we bonded over being slytherin and video games (especially pokemon and zelda). we go out every community day in pokemon go. we went to dc to see a concert she really wanted to go see. we went to the outer banks to catch a regional pokemon and we had fun the entire day. we’ve been places. we enjoy things. and it’s something i’ve been seriously lacking in my friendships, just going out and experiencing shit.

she wants to go to nyc for next new years. i said i was on board. there’s plenty of stories to tell. i don’t want to live an under-experienced life like i have been leading, y’know? cause when dad tells his stories about hitchhiking the continental states in the 70s, it makes me want to go and live too?

like. on new years. i was really wasted and was up late, into the morning. i decided to stay over her house bc obviously. i got so into my feelings that i started crying over my ex-friend and my sister, feeling so sad that i cannot be around them due to how they hurt me + trigger me. and that they’re people i also can’t be around because they have stunted my growth.

they sat with me and heard me out and hugged me, hydrated me, hearing them say it was the right decision, tucked me into a weighted blanket, gave me a xanax so i could fall asleep. and when i woke up i got a brand new pair of jeans. and i could have broke down right on the spot because they’re so thoughtful and wonderful. but i was so thankful, and grateful, that i have these people in my life. this was probably the best thing to have happened in 2018. zero rejection. only love. almost instantaneous comfort. i love them so much